I spoke at a legal conference in Utah called Polygamy and the Law. In my presentation “When Polygamy Becomes Trafficking,” I outlined the difference between “free will polygamy” (polyamory) and what I call “enslavement polygamy,” which is totalitarian in nature.

I gave a presentation for media, trauma therapists and survivors at the International Cultic Studies Association conference in Dallas. The presentation was called The Role of the Media in the Recovery, Retraumatization and Empowerment of Survivors of Traumatic Psychological Manipulation.

The Established Songwriter And Alt-pop Artist Taps Into An Emotional History On Her New Track ||| “In an exclusive premiere, V is debuting a new track from alt-pop songstress Lola Blanc to vamp up your Tuesday. Lola’s new single “Don’t Say You Do” comes from her upcoming EP TheMagic, and is a perfect ballad about distrust and dishonesty.”

“Although the mainstream Mormon church abandoned polygamy over 100 years ago, many splinter groups across Utah still practice plural marriage. One such group is the Kingston Clan, known to members as The Order. The Kingstons live in Salt Lake City and run their religion like a secretive business empire.

VICE meets Joe Robinson, a young man banished from The Order and trying to build a new life around his true passion: being a magician.”

The Science of Gratitude | University of Pennsylvania, 2005. One of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness in life is how much gratitude we show. And a noticeable difference can be experienced with as little as three expressions each day (“Thank you for…”).

Trust, Morality, and Oxytocin. Claremont Graduate University, 2011. Based on research findings, psychologists believe humanity’s trust, empathy, and morality increase as their levels of oxytocin increase. Neuroeconomist Paul Zak explains the simple act of eight hugs a day can increase internal oxytocin levels and result in a happier you and a better world.

For a Better Day, Smile. | Michigan State University, 2011. People who smile as a result of cultivating positive thoughts can significantly and immediately improve their mood. Simply put, one easy way to improve your mood right now is to recall pleasant memories—and smile because of it.

The Dynamic Spread of Happiness | University of California, San Diego, 2008. In this significant study, people who were surrounded by happy people were more likely to become happy in the future. So if you want to discover more happiness in your life, make a point to surround yourself with joyful people.

Kindness Counts | University of British Columbia, 2012. In this study conducted at an elementary school, students who performed kind acts experienced significantly higher increases in peer acceptance. In other words, people who are kind to others are more well-liked. This contributes to their own personal popularity as they help other people.

Is Volunteering a Public Health Intervention? | University of Exeter Medical School, 2013. Evidence suggests volunteering benefits mental health and even, survival. Donating time to causes you believe in not only improves well-being and overall life satisfaction, it is also linked to decreased depression and a lower risk of dying early.

Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness | University of California Berkeley, 2008. This study suggests that how people spend their money may be at least as important as how much money they earn. Specifically, spending more of one’s income on others results in greater happiness. So go ahead, be generous. You’ll be glad you did.

Well-being not Wealth | Harvard Business School, 2009. While there does appear to be some correlation between happiness and income when basic needs are not yet met, people tend to overestimate the influence of wealth on happiness by 100%. Money does not lead to nearly as much happiness as people think it will.

Experiences, not Possessions, Leads to Greater Happiness | San Francisco State University, 2009. The study demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased greater well-being than material possessions. These experiences tend to satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality—a feeling of being alive.

WHAT IS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY?

Traditional psychology is the study of mental illness: DARK

Positive psychology is the study of mental wellness: LIGHT

Positive psychology and happiness is an EXPLODING field, bursting out bestselling books for a reason.

Before we can be happy or successful, we need to first develop the ability to see that positive change is possible. Only once we learn to see the world through a more positive lens can we summon all our motivation, emotion, and intelligence to achieve our personal and professional goals.- Shawn Achor, Author -“Before Happiness”

A survivor journey with a Positive Psychology framework could benefit from a “guidemap” that incorporates the Positive Psychology character strengths.

[critical thinking]: Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one’s mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairly

•Love of Learning

: Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally; obviously related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows

•Perspective

[wisdom]: Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that

make sense to oneself and to other people

2. Courage

Emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, external or internal

•Bravery

[valor]: Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what is right even

if there is opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular; includes physical bravery but is not limited to it

•Perseverance

[persistence, industriousness]: Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in

spite of obstacles; “getting it out the door”; taking pleasure in completing tasks

•Honesty

[authenticity, integrity]: Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way

and acting in a sincere way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one’s feelings and actions

•Zest

[vitality, enthusiasm, vigor, energy]: Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things

halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated

3.Humanity

Interpersonal strengths that involve tending and befriending others

•Love

: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to people

[emotional intelligence, personal intelligence]: Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick

4. Justice

Civic strengths that underlie healthy community life

•Teamwork

[citizenship, social responsibility, loyalty]: Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one’s share

•Fairness

: Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance.

•Leadership

: Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the time maintain time good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.

5. Temperance

Strengths that protect against excess

•Forgiveness

:Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful

•Humility

: Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not regarding oneself as more special than one is

•Prudence

: Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted

•Self-Regulation

[self-control]: Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions

6. Transcendence

Strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning

life, from nature to art to mathematics toscience to everyday experience

•Gratitude

: Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks

•Hope

[optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation]: Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought about

•Humor

[playfulness]: Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes

•Spirituality

[faith, purpose]: Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort

Vice article | This ban (on toys), in part, is what inspired Christine Marie to plan a Christmas celebration, dubbed the First Christmas, in Short Creek. “People say there is a cloud over the town,” she told me. “I planned the First Christmas to bring happiness and help that gray cloud get dispersed by love.”

A few months ago, I participated in a public debate on polygamy at UNLV with Kristyn Decker, Kollene Snow and Willy Steed. On the other side was the Brown family of TLC’s “Sister Wives” fame. The debate was filmed for the TV show “Sister Wives.”

I grew up in Croton Dam, Michigan. It was truly like living in a post card, and the people in my tiny little town were like an extended family. People looked each other in the eye, everyone talked to everyone, and no one locked their doors.